Tesv.exe? I know that this discussion has already been had but it still doesn't work for me.

[Nathannerds]

I need to find tesv.exe for skse. ive checked C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition, I've checked the steam local files and it IS NOT THERE.

[mikk011]

You will not find TESV.exe in the folder that you listed; the folder you listed is for Skyrim Special Edition. The Skyrim Special Edition executable is called SkyrimSE.exe.

Since you are posting in this forum (the old version of Skyrim's forum) the conclusion I am drawing from your post is you are confused about the game versions and are probably confused about skse as well.

Before this thread goes any farther, please tell us which game version you actually own and are trying to mod right now. Otherwise, nobody will be able to give you correct information. Pick one of the following options:
1. You own and are trying to mod old Skyrim (published in 2011, date of publication will show on your game's store page if you don't know.)
2. You own and are trying to mod Skyrim Special Edition (published in 2016, with upgraded programming).

[Nathannerds]

I own and are trying to mod Skyrim Special Edition (published in 2016, with upgraded programming).

[mikk011]

Originally posted by Nathannerds:

I own and are trying to mod Skyrim Special Edition (published in 2016, with upgraded programming).

Thank you for clarifying. Forgive me if you already know any of the following; it is best to be precise about these things.

Next, as I said Skyrim Special Edition's executable is called "SkyrimSE.exe". You should be able to see this if you open the folder you described in your post. Just for your own knowledge, "TESV.exe" is the executable name for old, 32-bit Skyrim. Given what you just told me you are probably looking at an old skse installation guide. Aside from the different executable name, whatever the guide tells you to do will still be correct. (Note: if you are looking at an old guide, it may also be telling you to use Nexus Mod Manager. While that works, NMM is obsolete; if you are using it consider getting one of the newer mod managers. Vortex, nexusmod's new manager is very good, and so is Mod Organizer 2).

Next, the version of Skse64 you should be installing should ONLY be gotten from directly from the programmers, http://skse.silverlock.org/ Do not assume that any other source is safe and up-to-date. Do Not install the version of skse available on Steam; that version is for old Skyrim only and will not work in Special Edition because of the different programming architecture.

The version of Skse64 you should be downloading from the Silverlock website is this one: "Current SE build 2.0.29 (runtime 1.5.97)".

Here is a video installation guide geared directly for Skse64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTNy9Qr2sOc&ab_channel=Gopher

For more Special Edition help, the Special Edition forums are here
https://steamcommunity.com/app/489830/discussions/ Posting SSE questions in that forum will get you faster and more accurate help.

Edit: This is not an immediate concern, but the long term, you may also want to move your Steam installation and games out of Programs (x86). Many third-party modding tools and apps do not interact well with the security features specifically attached to the "Programs" folder. It is basically a cut-and-paste operation and is described here: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129&l=